The South African pay-TV broadcaster let the cat out of the bag - or rather the angel fish out of the Mystery Box challenge, or the sustainable fish out of the Woolworths crate - and confirmed to TV critics and M-Net and MultiChoice's DStv Local Content Showcase on Monday that a MasterChef South Africa Celebrity edition was filmed.
As TV with Thinus reported earlier, the MasterChef SA Celebrity edition was filmed in conjunction with the new third season of the show.
M-Net tried to put together a MasterChef South Africa Celebrity edition during the first part of 2012 which didn't work out due to contractual and time issues.
The MasterChef South Africa Celebrity edition will be broadcast on M-Net in January 2015.
"We were shooting at the MasterChef South Africa kitchen at Paarl from January through to June and it doesn't usually take that long to shoot one series," Ingrid Engelbrecht, M-Net publicist told stunned TV critics at the DStv Local Content Showcase.
"The reason we took so long is that we actually shot two series," she continued as she kept building the suspense and anticipation.
"We shot season three of MasterChef South Africa which is starting on 21 August, but we also shot a MasterChef South Africa Celebrity! Which is really exciting."
The room erupted with applause.
"Celebrity MasterChef SA is due to start on M-Net in January 2015 with 10 celebrities who took part in the show," said Ingrid Engelbrecht. The contestants will compete on behalf on various charities they chose themselves.
The 10 South African celebrities who took part in Celebrity MasterChef South Africa include Patricia Lewis, Sade Giliberti, Lorna Maseko, Lunga Shabalala, Terence Bridgett, Magdalene van der Merwe, Tall Ass Mo', Lerato Moloi, Alex Jay and Chris Forrest.
"There is a lot of pressure in that kitcken," Lerato Moloi who attended the DStv Local Content Showcase, told TV with Thinus.
"I've always watched MasterChef South Africa, but nothing compared to when you're in that kitchen. It's a whole other, completely different experience".
"I went in there confident. I just wanted to do it for fun. And I also wanted to learn. So I learnt a lot," Lerato Moloi told me.
"MasterChef South Africa is the best-produced reality show this country has ever done. Ever. By far," Alex Jay told TV with Thinus. "I'm a huge fan of the show - from a technical point of view, but also from the contestants".
Asked how good he is at cooking, the legendary Alex Jay laughed and laughed. "Well, I'm better now!"
"I'm the only person on the show who didn't cook. Not that I can't, but I hadn't. So I was invited along as a fan. As a genuine fan it was simply amazing!" said Alex Jay.
